Uniting both sides into one nation sounds impossible at first glance. However, consider the following quote from Kamal:
“I was born in what is now known as the nation of Israel. I am not a citizen there. I can never go back there as a citizen. I was born without citizenship because I’m not Jewish. You actually have a better chance of getting in there than me because I’m not Jewish. Now, I’m actually not talking against Israel. In fact, I think we could build a stronger Israel. But, I don’t think separation is the answer. Instead, give me equality. It has worked everywhere else. Give me the right to vote. Make me a citizen of the country and I might not want to destroy it. My solution would be . . . make it one country. And, I’m advocating a stronger Israel. If you want a stronger United States, you cannot have a situation where 4 million people don’t have any rights. They can’t travel, they cannot vote, and they are not citizens. It didn’t work in the United States, it didn’t work in South Africa, and it isn’t working in the Middle East.”
Admittedly stunning is such a plan!
Specific commitments would be required from all sides involved to make success achievable.
(1) From the Jewish side:
It would require giving citizenship rights to the Palestinians.
It would also require a public denouncement on the part of the synagogues, of terrorist attacks in the late 1940′s stemming from the Irgun and the Stern Gang as well as the assassination of the British Eastern Minister, Lord Moyne, all of which led to the passing of the Balfour Declaration in 1948.
(2) From the Muslim side:
It would require that the Qu’ran be interpreted from a 7th Century perspective; that is, from the time of Muhammad himself.
Passages, which portray Christians and Jews as devout and noble, should be given attention, reexamined, the original meaning understood, and distinguished from those that require attacks upon “infidels.” It needs to be understood that, by “infidels,” the Qu’ran is NOT referring to either Christians or Jews, but to the ancient Quraish and Collyridians, both of which apparently practiced human sacrifice.
Additionally, school literature, which promotes terrorist attacks, would need to be properly revised.
It would also be helpful if the term “adribu” in Surah 4:34, were understood in its original context, that being that a man should not seek to have children by an ungodly woman, rather than the common misinterpretation that he is to physically abuse her.
(3) From the Christian side:
Christians need to consider the likelihood that passages in Isaiah 51 and Ezekiel 37, which speak of the Jews regaining exclusive rights to the land, were previously fulfilled in 445 B.C. with the decree of Artaxerxes, rather than by Balfour, and may have been nullified by the explanation of Jesus in Matthew 21:43.
(4) From the Secular side:
Simply stay out of the merger altogether and do not seek to politicize it.
The recent dialogue between Kamal and myself can be viewed in its entirety at: www.openlettertoday.com. A more detailed description of the plan for peace can be found at this site beginning April 11th and continuing for the next 26 weeks.